Palm Beach County political disputes splits Peanut Island

Popular boater destination now has two county commissioners, no voters

December 20, 2011|By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel

Splitting the peanut — Peanut Island, that is — turned into the solution Tuesday to a Palm Beach County Commission political fight over territory that doesn't include any actual voters.

The commission decided that Peanut Island, the popular park boater destination near Riviera Beach, will now be represented by the two county commissioners who had been vying to include it in their districts.

The decision to split Peanut Island came after a contentious dispute in recent weeks between Commissioner Priscilla Taylor and Commissioner Karen Marcus over whose district would get the man-made island.

The County Commission on Tuesday finalized its "redistricting," where local officials are supposed to use U.S. Census data to update political boundary lines.

Peanut Island had long been part of Marcus' District 1, which includes North County communities, and she wanted it to stay that way.

Taylor wanted Peanut Island included in her District 7, which reaches from Lake Park to Delray Beach and was created to help give better representation to minority communities.

District 7 has fewer county parks than other districts and Taylor maintained that adding Peanut Island and nearby Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach would have helped address that inequity.

Under the deal approved Tuesday, Taylor's District 7 gets Phil Foster Park and the western portion of Peanut Island. Marcus's District 1 keeps the eastern portion of Peanut Island.

"This has been a very contentious issue," said Commission Chairwoman Shelley Vana, who proposed the "middle ground" compromise. "It has grown far beyond the word 'Peanut' into a mountain."

The Town of Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Civic Association were among the North County groups that advocated keeping Peanut Island in District 1, saying the needs of the island were more closely aligned with coastal communities.

The Port of Palm Beach and many Riviera Beach residents sided with Taylor, saying Peanut Island should be represented by the same commissioner who represents Riviera Beach and the port.

Taylor said she was "insulted" by any suggestion that if Peanut Island was added to her district that she would push for more commercial development of the island.

Taylor contends that Peanut Island should have always been part of District 7 and that making the change was about "doing what's right."

Marcus said dividing the island could be confusing for constituents wondering which commissioner to call with concerns about Peanut Island issues, but she ultimately agreed to accept what she called the "holiday compromise."

Redistricting occurs at the federal, state and local levels. Political disputes are common, but usually driven by dividing pools of potential voters, which can affect elections.

Redistricting and the Peanut Island decision shouldn't have involved "trying to please one commissioner" or "trying to pacify" another, said Commissioner Jess Santamaria.

"That's not the way to decide," Santamaria said. "It should be what's best for the people."